The new Rev'it Bastion GTX, Alaska GTX and Orion GTX gloves are comfortable
and very nicely made, with looks and features that match the new Rev'it
GTX jackets and pants.

GTX is Rev'it-speak for Gore-Tex and these winter gloves feature the
new ripstop Cordura on top and leather on the palms.

These gloves include the waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex "Guaranteed
to Keep You Dry" membrane liner with a waterproof guarantee by Gore-Tex.

The Bastion GTX is the current Rev'it ultimate winter glove. It is a
textile/leather hybrid, as is the Orion GTX. The Alaska GTX is all leather
and choosing a favorite is difficult indeed!

Editor's Note

The following review was written by Bill and it will compare the two
new hybrid textile and leather Revi't winter gloves for 2010/2011, the Orion
GTX and the new Bastion GTX, with the leather Alaska GTX glove. The Bastion
is the top-of-the-line Rev'it winter glove for 2011, followed in the Rev'it
catalog by the Alaska, then the Orion.

The Alaska GTX gloves feature a buttery-smooth leather for riders who
prefer hide over textile. They include the Gore-Tex membrane and I can testify
to the fact that they were completely waterproof in a couple of heavy rain
rides we took a few weeks ago when it was still warm enough to rain and
not snow!

Three of us have been swapping these gloves over the last several weeks
and, speaking for the evaluators, I can say that there is no clear winner
here -- any of these new gloves would make an excellent choice for winter
riding and, I think, they are decidedly the best Rev'it gloves yet and better
than any of the choices in last year's winter selection, described in
2008/2009 winter
and waterproof gloves review.

Just by coincidence (and not meant as a comparison to the Rev'it gloves),
a review of the Cortech Scarab winter gloves by Brandon Jackson will be
published subsequent to this review. The set of reviews constitutes a good
start for a look at the current crop of winter motorcycle gloves for 2010/2011.
Enjoy!

The GTX suffix on Rev'it clothing designates the item as a member of
the special Rev'it Gore-Tex clothing line. The partnership between the two
companies was covered on webBikeWorld in the
summer 2010 Rev'it Gore-Tex
report, which described the Rev'it clothing lineup for fall/winter of
2010 and 2011.

The first task for the Test Team, many of whom consisted of webBikeWorld
readers and riders, was to provide feedback on the prototypes of the three
pairs of gloves that we will be reviewed in this series.

The Editor saw the different prototypes used by the Test Team and the
suggestions for improvement they provided and the evolution from prototype
to production versions makes it clear that your feedback was indeed incorporated
into the design. For example, the face shield wiper on the forefinger of
the left hand and the TPU (thermo-polyurethane) protectors on the Bastion
GTX gloves are the direct result of your feedback.

In the Defender GTX review, we described the new ripstop Cordura fabrics
that Rev'it is now using in their higher-end clothing designs and this material
is also used in the Orion GTX and the Bastion GTX gloves to good effect.
It's not only functional, but it looks great, as I hope you can see in the
detailed close-up photos in the following lightbox slide show.

► REV'IT! 2011 Winter GTX Gloves
Lightbox Slide Show ◄

REV'IT! Bastion GTX Gloves

REV'IT! Orion GTX Gloves

REV'IT! Alaska GTX Gloves

wBWLightbox Slide Show: Click on a photo to start
the Lightbox slide show.

Introducing REV'IT! GTX Winter Gloves

A built-in bonus comes with the purchase of the Rev'it GTX jackets, pants
or gloves, and that is the Gore-Tex guarantee. I'm not sure how to calculate
its worth in monetary value, but I can say that so far, based on our experience,
Gore-Tex isn't going to have to make many payouts, because so far all of
the GTX gear we've used has been as waterproof as they claim.

The Gore-Tex liner in the Rev'it gloves is also breathable and the latest
Gore-Tex membranes are much better than they were several years ago, when
they may have sacrificed the ability to breathe for ultimate waterproof
protection.

The one-two punch combination of Gore-Tex and the Thermolite insulation
in the Bastion, Alaska and Orion GTX gloves, combined with a new Rev'it
standard handform for glove sizing, makes these gloves very comfortable.
They have kept our hands warm when riding in the Ice Age winter of 2010
which has blasted into the U.S. from Santa-land -- perfect conditions for
evaluating winter gear (but I'll still take summer any day!).

As was mentioned in the Defender GTX outfit review, Gore-Tex is very
strict about the licensing and use of their name, which is understandable,
seeing as how they're the guarantors. Rev'it had to pass all sorts of tests
and inspections for everything right down to the manufacturing procedures
to obtain the Gore-Tex license. All of the Rev'it GTX branded gear comes
with the "Guaranteed to Keep You Dry"
guarantee directly
from Gore-Tex.

The guarantee states "If you are not completely satisfied with
the waterproofness, windproofness or breathability of our Gore-Tex outerwear,
we will repair it, replace it or refund your purchase price".

So factor that in when you're comparing the cost of competing gloves,
because there aren't many other motorcycle jackets, pants or gloves that
give you a guarantee like that.

The Orion GTX gloves and the new Bastion GTX gloves both make a great
match for either the Defender GTX outfit or the upcoming Everest GTX outfit
(or any other outfit from Rev'it...or anyone else, for that matter) because
both of these gloves are made with the same type of ripstop Cordura used
on that higher-end Rev'it clothing.

The 1000 denier ripstop Cordura used on both pairs is Teflon coated,
and the ripstop waffle pattern is obvious in the detailed close-up photos
in the slide show. The pattern adds a really nice texture to the gloves
and sets them apart from other gloves in terms of styling.

I never was much of a textile glove fan, but these have definitely won
me over. Besides, leather is used on the palm side of the hybrid GTX gloves,
so you can have it both ways. The leather used in the Orion GTX is goat
skin with a water-resistant finish, along with some very nice black suede
leather on the upper part of the outside of the wrist.

The Bastion GTX gloves use the same type of goat skin, but more of it.
The leather continues along the underside of the gauntlet and around the
outside of the heel of the hand. The leather on both gloves is very soft
and feels instantly broken-in, right out of the package.

The Bastion gloves have an addition along the top of the glove, which
is constructed from Schoeller "Dynamic With Nanosphere" material,
claimed by Schoeller to "add key water and stain resistance and breathability"
along with "reducing overall bulk and enhancing mobility with ... mechanical
stretch". I'm not sure how this translates to a difference in winter
motorcycle gloves, but higher tech must be better, right?

The styling of the hybrid GTX gloves is very nice, with enough features
and different textures to make winter motorcycle gloves, which usually have
a utilitarian and boring look, into something that is both visually attractive
and stylish. This is enhanced by the light reflecting off the ripstop material
and the various contrasting yet harmonious fabric patterns.

The all-leather Alaska GTX gloves are slightly more sedate in their styling,
but they seem to have about the same technical specifications as the Bastion
GTX version. The major difference, of course, is the goatskin leather construction.

The goatskin is of very high quality and it's like buttah; very
soft and comfortable. The hide is treated with a water resistant finish
and it completely covers the "hidden" main TPU knuckle protector,
a nice touch.

All Rev'it GTX gloves are waterproof, but the outside shell material
will absorb various amounts of water. The soft leather on the Alaska gloves
may be a slight disadvantage here; although the leather doesn't seem to
absorb any more water than similar leather gloves, it takes longer to give
it up and the leather can feel damp even 24 hours after a severe soaking,
while the Cordura on the other gloves seems to dry very quickly. The insides
of all GTX gloves remained dry, however.

Conclusion: The extra leather used on the Bastion GTX gloves
and perhaps the Schoeller material give the Bastion GTX gloves a slight
edge between the two textile hybrids, but it's difficult to say how these
features translate to motorcycle utility. So in the end, I'd say this is
a draw.

If you're textile-phobic, the Alaska GTX gloves are for you, with the
caveat that the leather may absorb more water than the textile versions.
They have the features and similar performance to the textile GTX gloves
but with a beautiful leather finish and they also have the Gore-Tex waterproof
guarantee.

Comparison of Thermolite Insulation to Other Fibers (Courtesty Advansa).

The Alaska and Orion GTX gloves use a
Thermolite liner and the Bastion GTX gloves use Thermolite Plus. Thermolite
was originally invented by those wizards at DuPont and it is claimed to
provide the "most warmth at the lightest weight". It uses hollow
core fibers that are supposed to have a large surface area, which "allows
for faster evaporation by speeding moisture away from the skin
to the surface of the fabric where it can evaporate more quickly".

Advansa, the current manufacturer of Thermolite, claims that the insulation "dries
20% faster than other insulating fabrics and 50% faster than cotton".

The charts shown above compare Thermolite to other fabrics typically
used in outdoor performance clothing. The graph on the left shows the moisture
vapor transport index (fabric weight/time/area/fabric density). The center
graph compares the wet fabric warmth in orange to the dry fabric warmth
in brick red. The graph on the right compares the drying time (in minutes)
of a fully saturated fabric sample of various fabrics.

Advansa is a bit vague on the differences between Thermolite and Thermolite
Plus, but the Plus version appears to be an enhanced version that is claimed
to be "warmer than down when wet" and they also hint at greater
durability of Thermolite Plus. For more information, here's an article published
in Textile Web, an industry trade magazine, entitled "Tests
Show DuPont Thermolite Base Performance Fabrics Leave Competition Out in
the Cold".

The fabric liners in each version of these gloves are said to be the "Push-Pull"
type, which I believe means that they are bonded to the inside of the gloves
so the liners won't turn inside-out when moist hands are pulled out of the
gloves, as happens with some winter motorcycle gloves.

Although the Thermolite Plus insulation in the Bastion GTX gloves may
feel just a bit thicker than the standard Thermolite insulation in the other
two, it may also be my imagination. The GTX gloves all provided excellent
warmth (i.e., protection from the cold) and they are better than we expected
and better than any of the previous winter gloves of any brand we've reviewed.

Conclusion: Another draw, with all three versions providing
excellent comfort, warmth and moisture control.

The use of extra leather on the hybrid Bastion GTX gloves doesn't make
that much of a significant difference when comparing the two textile/leather
gloves, in my opinion. But the Bastion GTX gloves include something the
other two don't have: a large section of Superfabric on the padding that
acts as the main knuckle protector, along with a small padded Superfabric
protector sewn into a leather addition over the outside of the thumb.

Superfabric is the miracle stuff discussed several times in webBikeWorld
reviews; it's a type of highly abrasion- and puncture-resistant material
that looks like (and is) tiny ceramic shields or plates. Apparently it's
very expensive and Rev'it was the first to use it in motorcycle clothing.
It looks good and complements motorcycle gear because it doesn't stand out
yet it offers a different texture.

The Bastion gloves and the leather Alaska gloves also include a TPU slider
on the outside of the heel of the hand, an addition recommended by Rev'it
Gore-Tex Test Team riders for both versions. Another very small triangle
of TPU is located at the outside on the base knuckle of the pinky finger
on both versions. It seems too small to have much of an effect, but I'll
have to assume it's designed with a purpose in mind.

In fact, the prototypes of the Alaska and Bastion GTX gloves originally
excluded external sliders, using only Superfabric and internal padding or
protectors for abrasion protection. But the Test Team feedback indicated
that hard armor would be appreciated on the top-line glove.

Each of these gloves are designed for touring, and the idea was to minimize
the hard parts on the outside to provide better comfort and flexibility
for cold-weather riding.

There's a place for hard armor to be sure, but on the other hand (pun
intended), softer gloves are more appreciated in winter riding and I wonder
if they may actually keep the hands warmer, because the absence of hard
armor leaves more space for insulation. Totally theoretical, I know.

But in our admittedly crude trials, it sure seems like this current batch
of Rev'it winter gloves are warmer than the previous Rev'it or other types
I've worn in the past.

Both pairs of the hybrid gloves have leather on the palms and underside
of the fingers, with the Bastion GTX gloves having the leather continue
up on to the underside of the gauntlet where the Orion GTX gloves have a
500 denier Cordura.

The Bastion and Alaska GTX gloves also have a larger section of "digital"
leather across the inside of the hand for grip and wear protection. This
section is significantly larger than the smaller area used on the Orion
GTX gloves, where it only covers the area underneath the first and second
fingers near the thumb grip area.

Conclusion: The Bastion GTX and Alaska GTX gloves have
a definite advantage here, with more leather (all leather in the Alaska),
TPU sliders and, what could be the most critical feature for daily use,
the larger section of extra leather across the inside of the palm.

Rev'it GTX gloves include 3M-brand reflective material bonded to the
surface. The 3M retro-reflective material is more expensive than the less
effective "no name" versions used on other motorcycle gear, and
this is often skipped on motorcycle gloves to save money.

The material shows up very brightly when illuminated, as you can see
in the photo above. The "hash mark" pattern on the outside of
the gauntlet of the Rev'it GTX gloves matches the pattern used on the GTX
clothing, as seen in the webBikeWorld Defender GTX jacket and pants review.

On the Orion gloves, the reflective material is sewn in as small strips
across the outside three fingers at the second knuckle, where it actually
shows up fairly well at night, at least on motorcycles without hand guards
or a fairing to block the view of the hands.

On the Bastion and Alaksa GTX gloves, the middle two fingers have a slice
of reflective material placed vertically along the outside halves at the
fingertips. This may not the best location for reflective material because
it becomes hidden when the hands are curled around the grips.

The larger section of angled stripe hash marks is located on the outside
of the gauntlet of the gloves and the surface area have an equal amount
of surface area.

Conclusion: The Orion GTX gloves have a (theoretical) very
slight advantage here because the reflective material on the fingers is
more likely to be of use.

Safety
All three pairs of new Rev'it gloves have a wrist security strap closure
underneath the wrist, using a new type of Rev'it connector that features
a trapezoid shape in a doubled-over section of rubber that holds the leather
strap with hook-and-loop underneath.

This is an excellent design that should provide much better tear resistance
than simply sewing the metal loop into the body of the glove, while also
providing some flexibility in this crucial area.

Each of the new gloves also has a small leather flap that covers the
under-the-wrist security strap. Each pair also has a gauntlet flap that
secures the gauntlet with hook-and-loop. The Alaska GTX and Bastion GTX
flap is leather, while the Orion GTX flap is made from the ripstop Cordura.

Fit
The gloves use the new Rev'it handform for standardized sizing, and they
have what Rev'it calls a "Tour" fit. The box-section fingers are
roomy, as are the gloves themselves. All of the gloves in the comparison
are size XL and while I think that in general they're true to that size,
they may be just very slightly small, although I haven't tried an XL in
some time for comparison purposes, and glove sizing across brands seems
to vary more than any other type of motorcycle clothing.

Rev'it glove sizing in the past has been erratic, so hopefully their
use of a new standard will stabilize the glove sizes and fit across the
product line.

The construction of the gloves is outstanding, with very high quality
in the materials and design also. The fingers are especially well made,
with a single un-seamed section of leather forming the entire shape of the "V"
between each finger. The only place the leather is sewn is at the fingertip,
where the "walls" of the box section meet at the very tip of the
finger. A blind seam is used here, as well as along the bottom "floor"
and top "roof" of the box section finger construction.

Conclusion: All of the gloves stay on the hands when properly
secured, but the Bastion and Alaska GTX gloves take another razor-slight
edge due to their thicker leather gauntlet flap. Quality of construction
is equally good across the line.

The Bastion gloves have a zipper (with red teeth!) along the back of
the gauntlet, but I didn't find this of much use because it only opens the
gauntlet up about an extra 7 mm when measured across the width, which then
brings it to the same overall width as the Orion GTX gloves are without
the zipper. But I'm not too keen on riding with the zipper open -- it looks
strange to me.

By the way, as usually happens, we found the gauntlets on the Orion GTX
and Bastion GTX to be narrower than we'd like, especially when fitted over
thick winter jackets like the Cayenne or Defender GTX. The gauntlet on the
all-leather Alaska gloves seems to fit better over winter jacket sleeves
for some reason, even though at 65 mm across, it's about the same width
as the Bastion GTX gloves with the zipper opened.

The wrist security straps on all of the Rev'it gloves form a sort of
stop for the jacket cuff, and since the cuff on a winter jacket can be quite
thick with the insulating and waterproof liners, a gauntlet needs to be
extra wide and extra long to fit over the top...although Rev'it told us
that the gauntlets are designed to wear under the sleeve.

Conclusion: The design of the all-leather Alaska GTX gloves
yields a more usable gauntlet when wearing thicker winter jackets. As the
thickness of the jacket sleeve diminishes, however, this advantage disappears.

After wearing the gloves on and off for the last few weeks, I'd have
to say it's a more than a little difficult to decide which to buy. They
all provide an excellent fit for my hands; each has the Gore-Tex membrane
liner that includes the waterproof guarantee and, in a surprise to me at
least, the Orion GTX, Alaska GTX and Bastion GTX all kept my hands warm
in temperatures down to a low of 28 degrees F with heavy winds, which is
way below my usual tolerance for winter motorcycle riding.

Those conditions usually call for heated gloves, and while I'm certainly
not saying that the unheated Rev'it gloves are the equal of a pair of heated
gloves like the Gerbing
Hybrid gloves (review), I can say by way of example that one day I rode
for about two hours in strong crosswinds and 28 degrees comparing each of
these gloves and other than the tips of my fingers, which started to get
chilled, my hands were comfortable.

That motorcyclists can now ride in these conditions is amazing (to me
anyway), and all of us have commented that motorcycle gear on the average
has noticeably improved over the last year, which helps to extend the riding
season for those of us unfortunate enough to need all the help we can get.

The new collection of Rev'it winter gloves for 2011 is excellent and
it's nearly impossible to choose between the three, so we give them each
a coveted 5-Star rating. If you really want leather, the choice is simple:
it's difficult to do better than the Alaska GTX.

When it comes to the hybrid textile/leather versions, as in most decisions,
this probably comes down to money. The list price of the Orion GTX gloves
is $149.99 USD, while the top-of-the-line Bastion GTX gloves list for $189.99
USD. The leather Alaska GTX gloves split the difference at $169.99 USD.

All things considered, with the understanding that when the weather gets
really cold you're more likely to run into snow than rain, I'd choose the
Alaska GTX gloves. They have the protective features of the high-end Bastion
gloves and what feels like a larger and more usable gauntlet that fits even
over the very thick sleeve cuff of a winter-ready original Rev'it Cayenne
jacket.

The surprise of the group is the Orion GTX. You're giving up the Superfabric
main knuckle protector and TPU sliders, but the gloves will keep your hands
about as warm as the others, so if you want to save $40.00 but still get
the ripstop Cordura and other features, this may be a good choice.

Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published (details).
Comments may be edited for clarity prior to publication.

From "T.C." (02/11): "There were several
mentions that the gauntlets on the Orion and Bastion were a bit small. Hard-core
all-weather riders find that rainwater can run down the outside of their
sleeves, collect in the gauntlet, and then leak into the glove. So they
put the gauntlet inside the jacket. The red-toothed zip on the Bastion would
be zipped down over your mid layer, then the jacket cinched over the slim
gauntlet.

I'm not that hard core - I ordered the Alaska, on your recommendation
a size large. Thanks for the amazingly detailed test."

I have never worn a glove larger than XL in my life and in hindsight
I have to say that the Euro styling commands a size larger than U.Ss (you
forgot to mention this). After a tiring 3 weeks of appealing to the distributor
and then to REV'IT for an exchange or refund, I'm taking it up the wazzoo
to sell a pair of $170 gloves on EBAY.

REV'IT doesn't publish a fit guide on their website and their distributor
... and REV'IT finance guy (... yes, they referred to me to their finance
guy for customer service) are totally LAME! Seriously, it looks seems
an awesome product if you have the right size but service sucks and I wish
there would have been some sort of fit guide for such an expensive pair
of gloves."

Editor's Note: Sizing was discussed in the
fit section.

From "T.H." (12/10): "Enjoyed the
review of the new Rev'it glove line. I've been wearing a pair of Alaskas
since the weather turned cold and soggy here in Seattle and second your
overall assessment of the gloves. They're warm, comfortable, and completely
waterproof.

I do have one beef with the gloves, though: The little index-finger wiper
strip is completely useless! Sounds like a minor quibble, and in some ways
it is, but compared to the very effective wiper strip on the BMW Atlantis
2 gloves (which I wear most of the year here), it's a huge disappointment.

Too small and stiff to conform properly to the shape of the helmet visor,
it doesn't do much to clear rain or do anything else except give Rev'it
a little more room for branding. It looks like they use the same pathetic
little piece of plastic on all their high-end gloves. Given Revit's usual
attention to detail, it's kind of disappointing. Still love the gloves,
though."